DekaVision: General Windows keyboard shortcuts

Alt + F : File menu options in current program.

Alt + E :Edit options in current program

Alt + Tab : Switch between open programs

F1 : Universal Help in almost every Windows program.

F2 : Rename a selected file

F5 : Refresh the current program window

Ctrl + N :Create a new, blank document in some software programs

Ctrl + O : Open a file in current software program

Ctrl + A :Select all text.

Ctrl + B :Change selected text to be Bold

Ctrl + I : Change selected text to be in Italics

Ctrl + U :Change selected text to be Underlined

Ctrl + F :Open find window for current document or window.

Ctrl + S : Save current document file.

Ctrl + X :Cut selected item.

Shift + Del : Cut selected item.

Ctrl + C : Copy selected item.

Ctrl + Ins : Copy selected item

Ctrl + V: Paste, Shift + Ins ,Paste

Ctrl + K: Insert hyperlink for selected text

Ctrl + P : Print the current page or document.

Home : Goes to beginning of current line.

Ctrl + Home

Goes to beginning of document.

End

Goes to end of current line.

Ctrl + End

Goes to end of document.

Shift + Home

Highlights from current position to beginning of line.

Shift + End

Highlights from current position to end of line.

Ctrl + Left arrow

Moves one word to the left at a time.

Ctrl + Right arrow

Moves one word to the right at a time.

Ctrl + Esc

Opens the START menu

Ctrl + Shift + Esc

Opens Windows Task Manager

Alt + F4

Close the currently active program

Alt + Enter

Open the Properties for the selected item (file, folder, shortcut, etc.)

Almost always used as the help key, almost every program opens a help screen when this key is pressed.

Enter CMOS Setup.

Windows Key + F1 would open the Microsoft Windows help and support center.

Open the Task Pane.

In Windows renames a highlighted icon, file, or folder in all versions of Windows.

Alt + Ctrl + F2 opens document window in Microsoft Word.

Ctrl + F2 displays the print preview window in Microsoft Word.

Quickly rename a selected file or folder.

Enter CMOS Setup.

Often opens a search feature for many programs including Microsoft Windows when at the Windows Desktop.

In MS-DOS or Windows command line F3 will repeat the last command.

Shift + F3 will change the text in Microsoft Word from upper to lower case or a capital letter at the beginning of every word.

Windows Key + F3 opens the Advanced find window in Microsoft Outlook.

Open Mission Control on an Apple computer running Mac OS X.

Open find window in Windows 95 to XP.

Open the address bar in Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer.

Repeat the last action performed (Word 2000+).

Alt + F4 closes the program window currently active in Microsoft Windows.

Ctrl + F4 closes the open window within the current active window in Microsoft Windows.

In all modern Internet browsers, pressing F5 will refresh or reload the page or document window.

Open the find, replace, and go to window in Microsoft Word.

Starts a slideshow in PowerPoint.

Move the cursor to the address bar in Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and most other Internet browsers.

Ctrl + Shift + F6 opens to another open Microsoft Word document.

Reduce laptop speaker volume (on some laptops).

Commonly used to spell check and grammar check a document in Microsoft programs such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, etc.

Shift + F7 runs a Thesaurus check on the word highlighted.

Turns on Caret browsing in Mozilla Firefox.

Increase laptop speaker volume (on some laptops).

Function key used to enter the Windows startup menu, commonly used to access Windows Safe Mode.

Used by some computers to access the Windows recovery system, but may require a Windows installation CD.

Displays a thumbnail image for all workspaces in Mac OS.

Refresh document in Microsoft Word.

Send and receive e-mail in Microsoft Outlook.

Opens the Measurements toolbar in Quark 5.0.

Reduce laptop screen brightness (on some laptops).

With Mac OS 10.3 or later, displays a thumbnail for each window in a single workspace.

Using the Fn key and F9 at the same time opens Mission Control on an Apple computer running Mac OS X.

F10

In Microsoft Windows activates the menu bar of an open application.

Shift + F10 is the same as right-clicking on a highlighted icon, file, or Internet link.

Access the hidden recovery partition on HP and Sony computers.

Enter CMOS Setup.

Increase laptop screen brightness (on some laptops)

With Mac OS 10.3 or later, shows all open Windows for the active program.

F11

Enter and exit full screen mode in all modern Internet browsers.

Ctrl + F11 as computer is starting to access the hidden recovery partition on many Dell computers.

Access the hidden recovery partition on eMachines, Gateway, and Lenovo computers.

With Mac OS 10.4 or later, hides all open windows and shows the Desktop.

F12

Open the Save as window in Microsoft Word.

Ctrl + F12 opens a document In Word.

Shift + F12 saves the Microsoft Word document (like Ctrl + S).

Ctrl + Shift + F12 prints a document in Microsoft Word.

Preview a page in Microsoft Expression Web.

Open Firebug or browser debug tool.

With an Apple running Mac OS 10.4 or later, F12 shows or hides the Dashboard.

Access the list of bootable devices on a computer at startup, allowing you to select a different device to boot from (hard drive, CD or DVD drive, floppy drive, USB drive, and network).

F13 - F24

Early IBM computers also had keyboards with F13 through F24 keys. However, because these keyboards are no longer used, they are not listed on this page.

General Windows keyboard shortcuts

Alt + Tab

Switch between open applications in all versions of Windows. Reverse the direction by pressing Alt + Shift + Tab at the same time.

Ctrl + Tab

Switches between program groups, tabs, or document windows in applications that support this feature. Reverse the direction by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Tab at the same time.

Alt + double-click

Display the properties of the object you double-click on in Windows 95 and later. For example, doing this on a file would display its properties.

Alt + Print Screen

Create a screen shot only for the active program window in all versions of Windows. For example, if you opened the calculator and pressed these shortcut keys, only the calculator window would be created as a screen shot. If just the Print Screen key is pressed the whole screen will be made into a screen shot.

Ctrl + Alt + Del

Open the Windows option screen for locking computer, switching user, Task Manager, etc. in later versions of Windows. Pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del multiple times will reboot the computer.

Ctrl + Shift + Esc

Immediately bring up the Windows Task Manager in Windows 2000 and later.

Ctrl + Esc

Open the Windows Start menu in most versions of Windows. In Windows 8 this opens the Start screen and in Windows 3.x this would bring up the Task Manager.

Alt + Esc

Switch between open applications on Taskbar in Windows 95 and later.

Alt + Space bar

Drops down the window control menu for the currently open Windows program in Windows 95 and later.

Alt + Enter

Opens properties window of selected icon or program in Windows 95 and later.

Shift + Del

Will delete any file or other object without throwing it into the Recycle Bin in Windows 95 and later.

Hold down the Shift key

When putting in an audio or data CD that uses Autoplay, holding down the Shift key will prevent that CD from playing.

Windows function key shortcuts

Below is a listing of keyboard shortcuts that use the keyboard function keys. See our what are F1 through F12 keys page for a full listing of what function keys do with all other programs.

Activates help for current open application. If you're at the Windows Desktop, this will activate the help for Windows.

Renames a highlighted icon, file, or folder in all versions of Windows.

Starts find or search when at the Windows Desktop in all versions of Windows.

In Windows 95 and later, this opens the drive selection or address bar when browsing files in Windows Explorer.

Pressing Alt + F4 closes the current open program window without a prompt in all versions of Windows.

Pressing Ctrl + F4 closes the open window within the current active window in Microsoft Windows. This only works in programs that support multiple windows or tabs in the same program window.

While in Windows Explorer, this will move the cursor to different Windows Explorer pane or in Windows 7 browse available drives.

Pressing F8 over and over as the computer is booting will start the computer in Safe Mode.

F10

Activates the File menu bar in all versions of Windows.

Simulates a right-click on selected item. This is useful if right-click is difficult or impossible using the mouse.

Windows keyboard key shortcuts

Below is a listing of Windows keys that can be used on computers running a Microsoft Windows 95 or later and using a keyboard with a Windows key. In the below list of shortcuts, the Windows key is represented by "WINKEY." Because not all these shortcuts will work in every version of Windows, we've mentioned which versions of Windows support each shortcut key combination.

All versions of Windows

Windows XP only

Windows 7 and 8 only

Windows 8 only

All versions of Windows

WINKEY

Pressing the Windows key alone opens or hides the Windows Start menu. In Windows 8, this opens or hides the Start screen.

WINKEY + F1

Open the Microsoft Windows help and support center.

WINKEY + Pause / Break key

Open the System Properties window.

WINKEY + D

Opens the Desktop to the top of all other windows.

WINKEY + E

Open Microsoft Windows Explorer.

WINKEY + F

Display the Windows Search or Find feature.

WINKEY + Ctrl + F

Display the search for computers window.

WINKEY + L

Lock the computer and switch users if needed (Windows XP and above only).

WINKEY + M

Minimizes all windows.

WINKEY + Shift + M

Undo the minimize done by WINKEY + M and WINKEY + D.

WINKEY + R

Open the run window.

WINKEY + U

Open Utility Manager or the Ease of Access Center.

Windows XP only

WINKEY + Tab

Cycle through open programs through the Taskbar.

Windows 7 and 8 only

WINKEY + 1-0

Pressing the Windows key and any of the top row number keys from 1 to 0 opens the program corresponding to the number of icon on the Taskbar. For example, if the first icon on the Taskbar was Internet Explorer, pressing WINKEY + 1 would open that program or switch to it if already open.

WINKEY + (Plus (+) or Minus (-))

Open Windows Magnifier and zoom in with the plus symbol (+) and zoom out with the minus symbol (-).–––-

Press the WINKEY + ESC to close the Magnifier

WINKEY + Home

Minimize all windows except the active window.

WINKEY + P

Change between the monitor and projection display types or how second screen displays computer screen.

WINKEY + T

Set the focus on the Taskbar icons

WINKEY + Left arrow

Shrinks the window to 1/2 screen on the left side for side by side viewing.

WINKEY + Right arrow

Shrinks the window to 1/2 screen on the right side for side by side viewing.

WINKEY + Up arrow

When in the side by side viewing mode, this shortcut takes the screen back to full size.

WINKEY + Down arrow

Minimizes the screen. Also, when in the side by side viewing mode, this shortcut takes the screen back to a minimized size.

Windows 8 only

WINKEY + ,

Peek at the Windows Desktop.

WINKEY + .

Snap a Windows App to the sides of the screen. Pressing it multiple times will switch between the right and left-hand side of the screen or unsnap the app.

WINKEY + Enter

Open Windows Narrator

WINKEY + C

Open the Charms.

WINKEY + G

Cycle through Desktop gadgets.

WINKEY + H

Open Share in Charms.

WINKEY + I

Open the Settings in Charms.

WINKEY + J

Switch between snapped apps.

WINKEY + K

Open Devices in Charms.

WINKEY + O

Lock the screen orientation.

WINKEY + X

Open the power user menu, which gives you access to many of the features most power users would want to use such as Device Manager, Control Panel, Event Viewer, Command Prompt, and much more.